Injection Molding

BÖHLER M261 is a precipitation-hardenable steel for plastic molds that exhibits very good machinability in the as-delivered condition – solution-annealed and aged. Compared to 1.2312, BÖHLER M261 has a higher resistance to pressure and wear. By eliminating the need for additional heat treatment, the throughput time can also be significantly reduced.

BÖHLER M310 ISOPLAST is a corrosion-resistant, martensitic chromium steel which, through electroslag remelting and optimization of the chemical composition, has a good homogeneity and a balanced hardness-toughness-corrosion resistance ratio.

BÖHLER M390 MICROCLEAN is a corrosion-resistant, martensitic chromium steel produced by powder metallurgy. Due to its alloy design, this steel has very high wear resistance and good corrosion resistance. In addition, BÖHLER M390 MICROCLEAN is approved for food and beverage contact.

BÖHLER M398 MICROCLEAN is a corrosion-resistant, martensitic chromium steel produced by powder metallurgy. Due to its alloy design, this steel has good corrosion resistance and higher wear resistance compared to BÖHLER M390 MICROCLEAN.

BÖHLER M789 AMPO is a newly developed maraging steel, which combines the mechanical properties of 1.2709 with the corrosion resistance of 17-4PH. This patent bending grade can easily printed without any preheating and achieves a hardness of about 52 HRC with a very easy heat treatment. Furthermore, this material shows an excellent polishability, which makes it the ideal choice for inserts with conformal cooling in plastic injection molding and in any other application where a high hardness and corrosion resistance is of need.

BÖHLER N690 is a corrosion-resistant, martensitic chromium steel with a high carbon content and the addition of cobalt, molybdenum and vanadium. BÖHLER N690 is also approved for food and beverage contact.

BÖHLER N695 is a corrosion-resistant, martensitic chromium steel with a high carbon content and added molybdenum.

The BÖHLER W360 AMPO is the powder equivalent of the W360 ISOBLOC. Due to its chemical composition, the material belongs to the product group of hot-work tool steels. After hardening and tempering, it can achieve a hardness of up to 57 HRC with very good toughness properties. Its high temperature wear resistance, heat resistance and toughness characterizes the material. Applications: Printed components with conformal cooling for die casting applications, wear protection layers and repair work in mold making using laser cladding.

BÖHLER W720 VMR is not a classic hot work tool steel, but an ultra-high strength maraging steel. Compared to quenched and tempered steels, the material generates its high strength not through a hardened and tempered martensitic structure with a high carbon content and secondary hardening carbides, but through the precipitation of intermetallic phases from a tough nickel martensitic matrix. BÖHLER W720 VMR corresponds to material number 1.6358 (X2NiCoMoTi18-9-5) and has proven to be ideally suited for many tool steel applications in cold and hot work (e.g., for extrusion stems) up to 450 °C.

Percipitation hardening nickel martensitic (marging) steel, material number 1.2709, which offers a good combination of strength and toughness. Can be printed very easily without additional heating of the building plattform or chamber. The achievable hardness of 55 HRC makes this material a universal solution for tool steel applications in which conformal cooling is required, such as die casting applications.

Uddeholm Tyrax ESR combines best in class toughness, corrosion and wear resistance. This grade was developed for molding of high performance plastics often filled with glass fiber reinforcements and additives like flame retardants. This matrix- based microstructure is designed to achieve a high-gloss surface by only a few polishing steps, dramatically reducing the tool lead time and enabling production of top quality plastic parts. Uddeholm Tyrax ESR can achieve a high hardness (up to 58 HRC) and is a suitable upgrade from AISI 420 ESR, AISI S7 and AISI 440C. Benefits good dimensional stability at heat treatment and in service even microstructure and small grain size good hardenability Uddeholm Tyrax is also available for Additive Manufacturing, powder for processing Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) and Laser Metal Deposition (LMD).

The voestalpine Cooling Liquid Filter CLF-100 is engineered to protect your conformal cooling solutions. The star-shaped stainless-steel sieve offers exceptional filtration performance, effectively preventing particles larger than 100 µm from entering the cooling channel. This filter is a cost-effective investment, reducing the risk of unnecessary downtimes. Experience a reliable operation with our stainless-steel filter, engineered for water-based or oil-based coolants in a temperature range of -10 to +260°C. Achieve maximal coolant flow with an impressive flow rate of up to 80 liters per minute up to a nominal pressure of PN 16. The filter can be flanged to the mold or operated directly with a temperature control unit. The large filter volume and surface ensure extended maintenance intervals. When maintenance is required, the filter cartridge can be removed while the filter housing remains in the system circuit, offering a maintenance-friendly design that reduces downtimes. The filter cartridge itself can be cleaned using compressed air, an ultrasonic bath, or a high-pressure cleaner.

voestalpine Distributors Rings for die-casting applications are produced with premium materials by BÖHLER/Uddeholm. Used mainly in two-plate die casting molds, these finished products include voestalpine heat treatment, final machining, and eifeler PVD coating to deliver high-performance solutions that are ready for foundry use. Our distributor rings offer outstanding high-temperature wear resistance, excellent ductility (gross crack resistance), premium tempering resistance, significant soldering reduction (with eifeler PVD coating), high heat-checking resistance, as well as high thermal conductivity. These superior properties enable reduced maintenance effort and a more constant melt flow, thereby substantially increasing OEE.

Nozzle filters are used to prevent contamination from the plastic melt causing blockages or interruptions to the injection process. These contaminates can cause damage to hot runner systems, resulting in extended downtime and increased maintenance costs. The design of the voestalpine Flow Filter V & X capitalizes on the unique capabilities of additive manufacturing to create a high-density solid mesh filter. Flow Filter X combines filtration and mixing properties, thereby reducing masterbatch consumption. Flow Filter V provides an extremely low pressure drop (up to 65% compared to comb filter). These filters provide improved performance over traditional injection molding nozzle filters and are available in both standard sizes and tailored dimensions. The use of voestalpine Flow Filters increases part quality, reduces scrap rate, significantly reduces shear stresses, and reduces masterbatch consumption. The filters also exhibit high wear- and corrosion resistance as a result of their premium material composition.  

voestalpine Inserts for Bottle Caps have optimized conformal cooling solutions, enabling our customers to run a stable and highly efficient production with a minimized cost per plastic part produced. Our inserts offer higher wear resistance and increased lifetime compared to standard inserts, resulting in lower costs per part produced. Made using our premium steel, our inserts do not contain copper beryllium, which is a potentially toxic element in standard inserts. Many globally active plastic injection molding companies in various industries have confirmed the premium functionality and profitability of our corrosion-resistant inserts for bottle caps.

voestalpine Inserts for Cylindrical Containers are produced using additive manufacturing and have optimized conformal cooling channels that enable our customers to run a stable and highly efficient production. This results in a cost reduction per plastic part produced. Our inserts for cylindrical containers offer an overall cycle time reduction of up to 26% compared to conventionally manufactured inserts. Improved part tolerances are also achieved through homogeneous and conformal cooling design, leading to lower scrap rates and increased productivity.  The inserts are highly polishable, highly ductile (safety against cracks), and have high wear- and corrosion resistance. Many globally active plastic injection molding companies in various industries have confirmed the premium functionality and profitability of our corrosion-resistant inserts for cylindrical containers.

Our Inserts for Food Container lids have optimized conformal cooling solutions, enabling our customers to run a stable and highly efficient production with a minimized cost per plastic part produced. With more homogeneous temperature distribution, our inserts enable improved productivity and can reduce the overall cycle time by up to 15% compared to conventionally manufactured products. Many producers of food container lids have tested our AM solutions and confirmed the increased profitability by using our corrosion resistant inserts for food container lids.

Our AM Inserts for PET-Preform have optimized conformal cooling solutions, enabling our customers to run a stable and highly efficient production with a minimized cost per plastic part produced. Our inserts offer higher wear resistance and lifetime compared to standard inserts, resulting in lower costs per plastic part produced. Made using our premium steel, these inserts do not contain copper beryllium, which is a potentially toxic element in standard inserts. Many PET-preform producers have tested our AM solutions and confirmed the increased profitability by using our corrosion-resistant AM Inserts for PET-Preforms.  

Our AM Inserts for Syringes have optimized conformal cooling solutions, enabling our customers to run a stable and highly efficient production with a minimized cost per plastic part produced. Our inserts offer a refined production process, reducing the overall cycle time by up to 15% compared to sprinkler cooling. Improved part tolerances are also achieved through homogeneous and conformal cooling design, leading to a reduced scrap rate. The polishability requirements (similar to 1.2083) are achieved for 100% of the produced inserts. Many syringe producers have tested our AM solutions and confirmed the increased profitability by using our corrosion-resistant AM Inserts for Syringes.  

Our AM Inserts for Test Tubes have optimized conformal cooling solutions, enabling our customers to run a stable and highly efficient production with a minimized cost per plastic part produced. Our inserts reduce the overall cycle time by up to 30% compared to conventionally manufactured drilled cooling channels. Improved part tolerances are also achieved through homogeneous and conformal cooling design, leading to decreased scrap rates. Many globally active plastic injection molding companies in various industries have confirmed the premium functionality and profitability of our corrosion-resistant AM Inserts for Test Tubes.  

With rising demands for higher part quality, the need for effective process monitoring is increasing. For precise quality monitoring and process control, temperature sensors must be placed at critical points. However, practical constraints like limited accessibility and space due to cooling channels or ejectors often force compromises. This can result in reduced process insights, even with advanced measurement technology. voestalpine Sensorized Inserts overcome these limitations by enabling the seamless integration of internal channels for sensor placement via additive manufacturing. Using our integration know-how, small diameter channels can be realised with precise positioning up to 0.5 mm from the cavity. This approach allows precise process monitoring at critical areas without sacrificing cooling performance. Utilizing the design freedom of additive manufacturing, sensors can be optimally positioned between cooling channels and the cavity wall, eliminating the need for additional drilling efforts. Moreover, conventional thermocouples offer a cost-effective alternative, as they can be installed directly into the mold insert. USE CASES Process monitoring – cavity temperature Process monitoring – blocked cooling channel Switchover for variothermal processes Download datasheet ( under "Downloads" below) for more details!

Proper venting in injection molds is crucial for releasing trapped air and gases. This ensures optimal material flow, uniform cavity filling, and high-quality parts. Inadequate venting can lead to defects such as short shots, burn marks, voids, and weak weld lines, compromising part integrity and appearance. By leveraging the possibilities of additive manufacturing, voestalpine solves these challenges with porous, corrosion-resistant tool steels for injection mold inserts. Microscopic pores allow gases to escape directly through the mold surface without affecting structural strength. The standard component voestalpine Venting Inserts are compact porous plugs, which are easy to integrate into molds, boosting productivity, reducing waste, and ensuring superior part quality. Download datasheet for installation guidelines.

Using additive manufacturing, venting structures with a microscopic porosity can be produced that allow a targeted release of compressed air and ensure that the mold remains air free during injection. These structures help to avoid defects caused by the diesel effect, which is a well-known industrial problem. Our geometry independent venting structures provide application-specific venting performance and allow an easy and customized integration into the mold. Using our corrosion-resistant premium materials by BÖHLER /Uddeholm, the structures ensure high part quality throughout the mold lifetime. The high material and functional quality of our Engineered Products leads to improved overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). This is achieved through a reduction in scrap rates caused by defects such as burn marks and short shots, and a lowering of required injection pressure, which can contribute to energy savings.  

Fine grain structure, low porosity and excellent machining characteristics all define the cost saving and value added attributes of every block and plate of ACP 5080R. Outstanding industry leading material dimensional stability along with good mechanical and physical properties and an extraordinary range of sizes allow users of ACP 5080R to utilize Alimex’s material and knowledge expertise at its finest. Being an industry innovator and leader, Alimex was the first to introduce aluminum cast plate (ACP 5080R) manufactured to AA 5083 alloy specifications.

Materion’s MoldMAX XL Alloy is a high strength copper mold alloy with good thermal conductivity. The alloy contains no beryllium and is available in sections as large as 12″ thick. The alloy’s hardness is comparable with AISI P-20 tool steel, but its thermal conductivity is two to three times higher. MoldMAX XL Alloy typically machines faster than tool steels, and with appropriate machine tools, metal removal rates several times higher can be obtained.